Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-07-19
Calls aud Sketfhes.
NIKE.

I bv her prompt action. bat this was the way
5 of IL. Il was ho, summer afternoon and
! the most absolute quiet reigned over the
+ little railroad station At Pakers.Own, up
/ in northern New England, on these swell.
/ tering July days. Not even the cus'oma,
" loafers we're around, and only al tram
time was there any show Of lite.
/ The down train was due at 10. but
until then a. the sensational writers say.
"all was quiet as the grave"
I NIKE Ma he station agents daughter
and only child. She was Is. although 80
/ small ~, lo0ked three years younger. and
was usualls quiet as a mouse-''nUt much
ZIP 20 her a. The country folks said. 10
| spite Of the current opinion, however, she
had. except the small portion OF time
which this little country town set apart
| f,r the school season, spent nearly all OF
her Time 10 the ticket Office with her
/ fatler. picking up, leser by letter and
| word by word, the sounds OF the Morse
instrument and inaliy. one day, she
astonlshed her father by taking telegram
by sound. giving him neat copy
From that day Mike was installed as
telegraph operator, and the lpdulgent
father uften said Nick could run that
flee Jest a. well as he could himse lf'-
which, considering that Mr.. Markham was
| considered by the boys plug" opera
tor" might be called a doubtful eompli
ment 10 Nike.
Wall, this particular afternoon we are
talking about. The aforesaid plug saun'
tered into the dtpot with trouble en-
| throned on his majestic brow.
| Nick, m summo ned on a jury case
up to the Centre Village this afternoon.
It's too late to get anybody here, even
s'poslng there was any Dody TO get. What
are we going TO do about it' S'pose you
can tend the concern alone until get
back probably by p
II guess 80, father" replied Mike.
Their. won't be much of anything TO do.
Likely there won't be many passengers
tor the down train this hot day, and
hope / know enough to sell ticket or
two If there are"
We'll. SEE that those boxes 60 by ex-
press The way bills are ready and in the
drawer Guess you'll get along all right. y
and on ne ~tnl, leaving Nike mistress of
| the situation. which phrase meant more
| than you might imagine that very
articular day.
Al first she felt her newly acquired i'm
portance somewhat and stepped brlskly
around, busting the musty little otii'4 and
catering the few plants IN the window.
but there being absolutely nothing to d"
and no one coming near. she dropped IN
ju inactivity AMI listened to the click OF
the telt graph INSTRUMENT, which to her
was rs companionabe AS the talk Of near
fria Ig ka A of lfi -pI
drowsily along, the heat and stiffness over
ame her, ana dropping her tlaxen head
on the desk before her. She was soon-as
one Of the got d ladies of PdrSertown was
'rpt ~ express tin the arms OF Nor
phine."
Afterwards the first thing she could re.
member about it, a voice seeming to come
from her dreams sand " 'Talni likely she
~ left alone here and asleep. too
NO. responded aro her evil voice,
the old man prob'ly round somew here
but" in lower tone. zee me on, lets
90 long The down train'll be along and
wei lust lay 'em out"
Nike was wide awake enough now. but
she had presence of mind enough in her
small body. and realized that safety lay in
keeping still.
"How fur is it mp there ?"
'Sh Keep mum. DO you want to
knock the hull thing in the head and Your
self too p And then the girls quickened
hearing caught the sound OF heavy foot
steps passing by the window and on up
the track.
Mike waited until she couldn't hear the
footsteps. and then cautiously turned and
l. ~ no
were--two miserable looking tramps has
tening up the track She recognized them
AT orce "a two men who had been dis
charged from construction train that had
been at work down the road. What should
she do Oh if she could send tor father
But there was no one any where near. and,
besides. BY the time he could get home it
might he too late-for 1t was evident that
the desperate wretrhes were bent on re
veuging th, mSelves OF their tancied
wrongs upon the innocent. She looked at
the clock. Half past four She ran out and
looked in the lonely station. No living
| being in Chit. She called once. f.ehly.
but " hat was the use ? II she sent for her
| father she had no tanglbie explanation tn
| give or real reason To make HIM hurry
| home-only she was sure there was harm
| coming TO the down train-that long
crowded express train filled with mountain
| tourists. But she must do something.
| The men had disappeared around a
slight bend in the track. Mike ran in.
! locked up the office. snatched hat from
| a nail in the corner ard then hurried ~
| the track until she alrvtd at the slight
| curve. Then she made haste more
| slowly" tor there were the men. Step
ping behind cmmp IF bushes she
watched them. They had stopped and
were doing something. she could not at
! first see what. to the track Pretty soon up
came a rail, and in minute more it wa.
thrown down steep ledge within -four
feet of the track. where the whole train
must be precipitated in less than an houl
Il something could not be done to war;
them. Mike saw it all now and for +
moment stood, her ewes diiated with hor
ror, while she saw the scounirels shak,
their fists toward her way and heard AZ
imprecatiou. Then they passed on anC
MIKE. growing cold in the sudden ex
tremity. turned and sped toward the depot
The rail had been removed on curve
which was shaded on the west side by
high bank so that at bali past FIVE it wa
quite dusk there. and As the train AWAY
came III on a down grade they came at full
speed So Mike thought to herself. I'm
SO glad came, for now IN hurry an,
telegraph to Slraitord before the trail
comes by. and then we'll see, Mr.. Tramps
l. n